Sports Hall of Fame

There was little to suggest in the fall of 2001 that the upcoming season for boys' hockey at West Kings would be anything other than another winning campaign.

By the time all was said and done, a special group of boys had teamed up to produce one of the truly memorable seasons in the history of hockey at the Auburn school.

The Wolverines went undefeated in league play, were victorious in three different tournaments and advanced to the semifinals at provincials before being defeated by a deep and talented Millwood squad that went on to capture the provincial banner.

West Kings traditionally draws its students from Berwick west to the County line. It was not unusual to have a handful of Berwick boys on the school's teams each year, but in this case, the lion's share of the players had played their minor hockey in Berwick.

“It was one of those rare times when everything comes together,” recalls team manager Hazen Trueman. “They were a special group of young athletes who also won three straight provincial titles in soccer and one in rugby during their high school years.”

West Kings, with John Verran and Steve Keddy as coaches, Trueman the manager and Jim Brothers as trainer, had it all – strong goaltending, a solid defense and four lines of good two-way players, equally capable of scoring and backchecking.

After winning the Gator Classic at Central Kings, the Wolverines entered the Fred Kelly tournament in Wolfville just after Christmas looking to win for a third straight year. West Kings met Sackville in the final, and Luke Verran's goal at 11:25 of the second overtime gave the Wolverines a 3-2 win.

Next was the City of Lakes tournament in Dartmouth. Advancing to the final against Riverview from Cape Breton, the defending champion Wolverines waltzed to a 4-0 victory. A number of parents commented it was “this team's finest game.”

A highlight of the season was a trip to St. John's, NL to play in the 28-team Confederation Cup tournament. West Kings won four of its five games, and came home with a $1,000 scholarship awarded to the most sportsmanlike and competitive team.

The Wolverines went through the regular season in the Valley High School Hockey League with a record of 21 wins and one tie in 22 games. Five players ended up in the top-10 in the league in scoring; the goalies surrendered barely a goal a game.

West Kings punched its ticket for Division 1 provincials with 6-0 and 4-1 wins over Yarmouth in a two-game total goal series for the regional title.

At provincials, West Kings met five-time defending champion Kings-Edgehill, which had played in the Capital Region all season, in the quarterfinals.

Coach Keddy “calmed the troops” as the game went to overtime, and the Wolverines responded, winning 3-2 on Ben Rose's goal at 14:26 of the second extra session.

In the semifinals, West Kings, with several players suffering from the 'flu, grabbed a three-goal lead over Millwood, only to see the Knights tie the score 5-5 with 4:40 remaining, then net the game-winner 30 seconds later, ending what had been one of the most exciting and successful seasons ever for West Kings.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, in the team category, the 2001-2002 West Kings Wolverines hockey team.

Carol Hampsey started curling “too many years ago to remember,” she says – but when pressed, suggests it was probably in 1965 or 1966, at the Berwick Curling Club.

She began her competitive curling career throwing first stones for a team skipped by Betty Adams. “In later years,” she says, “I usually played the mate position, as I didn't really like skipping.” This, she points out, “was left to Elaine Prall or whoever else would have me on their team.”

While the Berwick teams Hampsey was a part of did well in Western Counties and provincial playdowns, many of the Berwick senior curlers didn't have the time she had to devote to the sport.

When she got a call from Yvonne Martin of Coldbrook asking her to compete in the Nova Scotia senior championships, Hampsey agreed – and the rest, as they say, is history.

In 2002, Martin, Hampsey, Donna MacKinnon and Allison Weagle teamed up to win the Nova Scotia seniors, and competed at the Canadian championships in St. Thomas, ON.

Team Martin, she recalls, “made a fair showing” at nationals – “big stuff for a little old curler from Berwick, NS” – but the truth was, she and Martin were just getting started.

Hampsey continued to curl with Martin in competition, while also curling recreationally out of Berwick.

In 2003, Martin, Hampsey, Sandy Walker and Allison Weagle teamed up to win another provincial senior title, and again competed at nationals, this time in Lethbridge, AB.

That same year, Martin also entered a team in the provincial Masters (60-and-over) competition, and with Carol Romkey, Hampsey and Donna MacKinnon, captured that championship as well - for Martin and Hampsey, two titles in the same year!

Advancing to nationals in Assiniboine, SK, Hampsey unfortunately fell on the ice during a game and broke her wrist, forcing her to miss the remainder of the competition.

The 2004 nationals were in Kelowna, BC, “and though we didn't win, it was a great privilege to meet curlers from across Canada competing at all these championships.” Martin remembers Hampsey as the ultimate teammate. “She mated for me at many provincial tournaments and at four national championships,” she says. “She was always a 'skip's delight' to have on your team.”

Many curlers, she points out, “tend to blame the broom being in the wrong place when they miss, but Carol was the exception.

“As soon as she released her rock, she would yell 'inside' or 'outside' to let the sweepers know whether to sweep or not, even if she was only off by an inch. This is a quality very seldom found in most curlers, and I appreciated it very much.

“She also had a deadly takeout, and got us out of plenty of touchy situations.” Hampsey, Martin points out, “was always the same, no matter where we travelled in this wonderful country. Her demeanour never changed, even when she broke her wrist and needed surgery two and a half hours away from where we were curling.”

Today, Hampsey continues to curl recreationally, but not competitively. As she points out, “we all get old far too quickly.”

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, in the Athlete category, Carol Hampsey.

Allison Stanley (Al) Hale was born in Berwick August 5th, 1941, the son of the late Allison and Phyllis Hale, of Cambridge. Brought up in Cambridge, Al spent his younger years playing sports locally with other young boys in this area.

His first foray into organized sports was playing Pony League Baseball in Kentville at the age of 16. His first attempt at organized hockey was to attend the very first hockey school in Canada (held in Kentville in 1959).

That same year, Dr. Ron Thorpe, a well-known local Doctor and sports enthusiast, formed a Fastball team in Cambridge called the Tigers. Al became the first baseman on this team.

The Tigers featured local players such as John Durno, Mike Francis, Howie Mintis, Ron Reeves and Lawrence Johnstone, as well as Berwick natives Levi Sherman, Garnie Parker, Manny Lewis and many others. The team played in the Valley Fastball League, against strong teams from Berwick, Greenwood, Cornwallis, and Kentville.

In 1960 the Tigers entered the Provincial Intermediate 'C' playoffs, and eventually captured both the provincial and Maritime titles.

A September, 1960 write-up in the Berwick Register, penned by Hall of Famer Stuart Johnstone, reported Al's towering grand slam home run deep to right field that sent the Tigers on their way to victory in the Nova Scotia championships.

In 1964, the Cambridge squad (now playing under the name Red and Whites), again won the Maritime Intermediate 'C' crown after beating a team from Sydney 8-5 and 4-1 to claim the Nova Scotia title.

Joining the Berwick Alpines in 1970, Al was still a formidable force on the field, finishing second in the batting race with a sparkling .378 average.

His former teammates recall Al as a great team player, always with a positive attitude and always helping fellow team­mates whenever he had a chance. Al always hit in the four, or five position, because he was such a great clutch hitter. Dale Lloyd, a former teammate and fellow Cambridge resident, says, “Al Hale is just simply the best clutch hitter I have ever seen!”

Al was also an excellent hockey player. He played for the Coldbrook Aces in the 1960s, on a team that won several Valley League Championships. In later years Al finished his Hockey career in the Berwick Suburban League, winning several league championships there as well.

Al played oldtimers Hockey for the noted Berwick Graves Oldtimers, one of the first real oldtimers teams in Nova Scotia, for almost 10 years.

Al is remembered as a tremendously talented athlete, a quiet but confident leader, and a teammate that inspired the rest of his mates to play their hardest, and compete at their highest level possible.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, in the athlete category, Al Hale.

Clinton Joseph (Joe) Gillis was fun to watch – a fan favorite in every arena he played in. A wry smile, a wink or maybe a little dry wit, combined with raw talent – skill, size, speed and strength. No one played with more spirit and sportsmanship than Joe Gillis.

Almost from the start, Joe showed all the qualities that could have made him a successful professional hockey player. He had the knack of being able to anticipate where the puck was going, and he was so strong and sturdy on his feet, you couldn't get his stick off the ice.

One of Joe's strengths was his ability to instantly break into full speed. A “complete” player with natural scoring talent, he was dangerous on a regular shift and especially killing penalties. Bruce Beattie, Joe's longtime friend and teammate, says “his greatest asset was his capability to give his team a 'lift' – both on and off the ice.”

His many multi-goal and multi-assist games resulted in numerous scoring titles. Art Newton, Joe's Junior Coach in 1969, suggested, “he was the best junior hockey player in Nova Scotia at the time.”

Playing for the Valley midget Flyers during the 1967 season, Joe's scoring and playmaking prowess helped his team to the Nova Scotia championship and a berth in the Centennial Cup in Kingston, Ontario, with a number of NHL scouts in attendance.

Two years with the Berwick Juniors followed, and Joe continued to be one of his team's top scorers. In one 1969 game, a 15-1 thrashing of Shannon Park, Joe had four goals.

Eventually, Joe was offered a tryout by the NHL's New York Islanders. He attended the Islanders' training camp, and was assigned to Tulsa of the Central Hockey League. A highlight of his training camp experience was facing Islanders' defenseman Denis Potvin, who would end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Joe will tell you, “he beat me once, and I beat him once.”

As good a hockey player as he was, Joe was a darned good fastball player, too, playing for a number of teams including the Berwick Eassons and Waterville Mohawks.

Those who watched him play, or played with or against him, say he could hit a home run or drop a “perfect bunt” as well as play any position. He was a career .300 hitter, and once, topped .400 for the season playing for Waterville.

His wife's ill health and the responsibilities of a young family forced Joe to end his pursuit of a pro career. All who ever watched him play were certain he had the ability to make it to the highest level, had the circumstances been different.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, in the Athlete category, Joe Gillis.

Gordon Morse, or Gordie as he liked to be called, was born to humble beginnings in Harmony, Nova Scotia. He was a lifelong resident of the Berwick area, many of them living in the town proper. He loved the town of Berwick and the area he grew up in.

While growing up and working hard, Gordie was active in sports, hockey in the winter and baseball in the summer. Although he was an avid baseball player, playing on many teams representing the town at the district and provincial level, he might be best remembered for his prowess as a hockey player.

Gordie, along with many from the town and area, played for the 1947-48 Berwick Cubs. They won the Valley Championship that year and went on to play in the Provincial Intermediate playdowns, eventually losing to Kentville in a total-goal series.

A little later in life, Gordie took up the sport of curling and as well as excelling as a player, he was an integral part of the Berwick Curling Club. Representing Berwick as a player in many bonspiels throughout the province, he was also a noted ice-maker and served on many committees, giving of himself as well sponsoring many teams and events. He truly was a great ambassador for the game, the Club and the Town of Berwick.

Though he was a fine athlete who represented the town of Berwick in multiple sports, Gordie will be best remembered as a builder of sports covering many venues over the years for the town and area.

For many years, he owned and operated a successful business, Gordon Morse Trucking, and he was always quick to listen to proposals and lend his name and financial support to many.

Minor sports at all levels benefited greatly over the years due to his generosity and support. Not only was he quick to offer financial support, Gordie also took a great interest in following the various teams and monitoring how they were doing.

One team of particular note was the Berwick Red Sox ladies' softball team in the mid '80's coached by Hall of Famer Jack Murphy. From humble beginnings, the team continued to get stronger and went on to win three League Championships.

Few have done more as an ambassador for sports, as a builder and athlete for the town of Berwick and area than Gordie Morse. Gordie gave so freely and without fanfare, he truly was a humble man who just wanted to help others - a player, sponsor, mentor, friend and inspiration to generations of athletes of all ages.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, posthumously, in the Builder category, Gordon Hardy Morse.

Barry Corbin has coached, mentored and nurtured young athletes for more than 40 years, enjoying success in a variety of sports at a number of levels.

His coaching career began in 1972 when the Lakeville native, not yet out of his 20s, coached an Aylesford bantam girls' softball team to the western Nova Scotia banner.

That same year, he coached a Chisholm's Pharmacy-sponsored women's softball team to the championship of the Berwick/Greenwood & District ladies' league.

Starting in 1974, Barry coached senior girls' soccer, basketball and softball as well as track and field for many years at West Kings District High.

Between 1978 and 1986, his West Kings basketball teams compiled a record of 185-66, winning a pair of regional titles and playing in the regional final on three other occasions.

In 1981, his West Kings team was provincial runner-up. In 1982, they won the Alexander Galt tournament in Montreal by beating both the #1 and #2 ranked teams in Quebec.

His West Kings softball teams were twice regional champions and were provincial runners-up in 1977. His soccer teams were district champions in 1975 and again in 1981. Barry coached sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers in track and field at West Kings, winning back-to-back regional team championships in 1975-76. One of his relay teams were NSSAF provincial gold medalists in 1981.

After a number of years at West Kings, Barry moved on to Central Kings, and got to coach those Berwick athletes who attended that school.

His coaching successes continued at CK – his girls' basketball teams qualified for provincials twice, his 1986 girls' soccer squad were provincial finalists, and he also coached a number of provincial-level track and field athletes from 1994-96.

Barry's contributions to sport, both locally and provincially, didn't stop at coaching. He was a provincially-certified basketball official for more than 25 years, and was also a provincially-certified soccer, softball and volleyball official.

He served as a school track and field coordinator at the district, regional and provincial level, and still volunteers at school track and field meets held locally.

Barry was a coordinator of sport for the NSSAF for more than 20 years, and has been twice recognized by the Federation with outstanding service awards.

He runs recreationally and competitively, has been an active member of Run Nova Scotia for more than 20 years and has been running road races since 1980.

He served as race director for the Berwick Gala Days 5-Mile race, and was instrumental in getting that event added to the Run Nova Scotia schedule.

Barry coached nearly 600 games of girls' basketball at both the junior and senior levels over a span of 30 years, and 13 of his former players have gone on to play at the university or college level following high school.

Barry has also served as a mentor to young athletes, several of whom have gone on to careers as coaches, officials and administrators.

As a member of the Berwick Town Council, he is still involved in sport and recreation, serving as chair of the Berwick and District Recreation Commission.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, in the builder category, Barry Corbin.

A decade after the 1956-1957 Berwick Apple Kings were crowned provincial and Maritime Junior champions, a Berwick Junior team once again rose to provincial prominence.

Much had changed in 10 years: the Apple Kings' era had ended, but a new era had emerged, spawned by the introduction of artificial ice.

Don Stewart, with the sponsorship of Sawlor Fuels, started a junior program. Stewart was also instrumental in the formation of the Metro-Valley Junior 'B' Hockey League, but Berwick opted not to join the league.

Dubbed the Shell Juniors, the team consisted primarily of local boys, with the addition of a few players from a bit further afield. Among those eager to play were Mike and Phil Kinsman, Rod Dorey, Bruce Redden, Barry Ling, Charlie Reeves, Dwight Bishop, Dale Lloyd, Richard Palmer and Bobby Wilson.

A few more talented players were needed to bolster their lineup, so Jim Cochrane, Brian 'Smiley' MacPherson, Carl Parks and Steve Rayworth came from Kentville, Gary Darling from Greenwood and goaltender Brian Murray from Centreville-Canning.

The group jelled instantly, and along with head coach Laurie Jordan of Kentville and assistant Gary Whittier of Berwick, they were ready for the season.

The Shell Juniors were a hit with the fans from the start, filling the Berwick Arena every Saturday night playing against other junior teams, some senior teams and Universite Sainte-Anne.

The juniors had a solid nucleus of performers, and called on local midget players to fill out the lineup when required. According to the Berwick Register, the squad “played an exciting brand of hockey, combining fast skating, lots of goals and a rough-and-tumble style of play.”

Berwick fans were treated to many entertaining matches, including an 8-2 win over Windsor Royals, 8-6 over South Shore All-Stars, 11-1 over the Wolfville Colonials Intermediate 'B' team, and 8-4 over the Halifax Colonels, the 'B' team of the Halifax Junior 'A' Canadiens.

As an independent team, Berwick had the opportunity to meet the winner of the newly-formed Metro-Valley Junior 'B' league for the Nova Scotia championship.

The series was finally set to begin Mar. 18-19 in Berwick and continue Mar. 22-23 at the Halifax Forum. The opposition would be the Halifax Colonels, who had the advantage of moving players up and down from the Junior 'A' ranks and were installed as heavy favorites.

In front of a record crowd at the Berwick Arena, the local boys sent game one into overtime with a goal midway through the third period, but Halifax scored six minutes into extra time to win 8-7. Game two was just as close, but Halifax was able to build a 4-2 lead and hold on for a 4-3 victory.

The series shifted to Halifax, and in what Jack Conrad of the Chronicle-Herald described as “a penalty-studded game” that the officials “had a busy time controlling,” Berwick jumped out to a lead in the second period and skated to a 7-4 win.

Game four, again at the Forum, was an ugly contest. Not only did Halifax win 9-2, Berwick's top scorer Rod Dorey suffered a nasty cut to the arm that required 38 stitches, sidelining him for the rest of the series.

Game five was a must-win for the locals at the Berwick Arena, and they did not disappoint their many fans, playing “brilliantly” in a 5-3 victory. With their back to the wall, they returned to Halifax for game six. After a seesaw first period, the game was tied 3-3. Halifax then scored three goals in three minutes in the second period and held on for a 6-3 win and the provincial title.

Despite really being a 'David and Goliath' match-up , it turned out to be an entertaining series that many observers felt might have been even closer had Berwick's big man Rod Dorey not been injured. The following year, Berwick joined the Metro-Valley league and continued to ice a competitive team.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, in the team category, the Berwick Shell Juniors, worthy provincial runners-up in an outstanding 1966-1967 season.

The Berwick Lions juveniles were a team brought together in the spring of 1980 to compete for the regional and provincial Juvenile 'C' titles.

The players, mainly from the Berwick area, had played together at one time or another over the years, but this season, they would all play as one unit.

That 1980 season consisted of playing exhibition games as no juvenile league existed in the province at the time. The Lions won the bulk of those games, looking to peak at the provincial Juvenile 'C' playoffs.

Coach John Charest recalls that Berwick had to beat Cornwallis, the Mid-Valley juveniles who played out of Lawrencetown, and West Pubnico in order to qualify for provincials.

After eliminating the first two opponents, Berwick took on West Pubnico in a best-of-three regional final. The third and deciding game was played Mar. 22, 1980 in front of a large crowd at the Berwick Arena.

The game went to overtime and was decided in Berwick's favour by a 6-5 score when Larry Morse found the net on a perfect drop pass from Dale Spicer. Craig Prall was outstanding in the Lions' net.

Berwick's next stop was Church Point, site of the Nova Scotia Juvenile 'C' championship. Despite their success to that point, the banged-up Lions looked to be far from favorites to win.

Charest recalls, “out of 13 players, one had a bruised ankle, several had upper bodies and arms that looked like tic-tac-toe boards that were bruised from hockey sticks, two suffered from Charley horses, one had badly bruised feet and one was hurt prior to the tournament and couldn't shoot the puck.”

The Lions started well, winning their opening game 5-4 in overtime over the host Clare Zeniths. Larry Morse netted the hat trick, including the overtime winner, and Dale Spicer added a pair of goals. The Saturday evening game, however, was a “disaster.” The Cape Breton Islanders from Sydney scored nine times, with Jim Kennie managing the lone Berwick marker.

The Lions entered their final round robin game Sunday morning against Sackville Acadiens looking to bounce back, and did so with a memorable performance that unfortunately ended in a 7-5 defeat.

Berwick “fought hard,” but ended up falling just short against a Sackville team that would end up winning the tournament and the provincial title.

Larry Morse again had two goals, and with Sackville up 6-5 and time running out, rang what would have been the tying goal off the post. Sackville scored the final goal in a 7-5 victory into an empty net.

All in all, it was a game effort by the Berwick boys, as reported in the Berwick Register which was all over the provincial tournament being played just a few hours' drive away in Digby County. “Had there been an award for the team with the most heart and guts,” it said, “Berwick had no competition for that one.”

Charest recalls the Lions, led by their captain Craig Newton, as “a great bunch of kids to coach, the easiest team I've had to coach in all the years I coached. They were all friends who got along very well,” and despite maybe not having the overall talent of some other teams, “they were a team to be reckoned with.”

Larry Morse, who had five goals at provincials and made the tournament all-star team, was an offensive-minded player who “was always one of the best players in the province,” and who would go on to set a record for assists in a season in the Nova Scotia Senior Hockey League.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, in the Team category, the 1979-1980 Berwick Lions Juveniles, truly a 'little team that could'.

In the late 1950s, there were few if any athletes in Kings County to rival Berwick's Robert Norman Clark, who excelled in track and field and was equally successful in both jumping and throwing events.

Robert's earliest memories of track and field are of a meet in 1950 held behind the old Berwick school, organized by Principal C.G. Sutherland and Vice-Principal Ian Robb. Some of the local competitors included Eddie Nichols, Paul Ward, Don Weir, Donnie Hall and Darrell Corbett.

Robert first became involved in track and field competition in the spring of 1953, while a student at Central Kings Rural High School. He competed in interscholastic meets in discus, shot put and javelin, and also counted the high jump, broad (long) jump and triple jump as part of his repertoire.

Proper preparation was always a key to his success. “I trained hard during the summer, around my work program on the farm,” he says. “I trained alone, and I always wished I had someone to push me.”

Among the individuals Robert credits for helping him to excel in his athletic endeavours were Burton Bowlby, his first coach at Central Kings, Al Peppard of Middleton and Wally Barteaux of Kentville.

Robert's real heyday as an elite track and field athlete spanned the years 1956-1960. He competed at meets in Bridgetown, Halifax, Truro, Amherst, Antigonish and Summerside as well as at the Acadia Relays, a top-level annual meet held in Wolfville in which both high school and university athletes competed.

In 1956, he merited a Physical Education award for his prowess in basketball, volleyball and track and field at Central Kings. He won the discus and high jump at the Acadia Relays in 1956, and was the Maritime champion in the high jump, broad jump and discus in 1957.

Robert recalls the Highland Games in Antigonish as “the meet where I first began reaching a peak in my throwing. Sandy Patterson had been coming to Antigonish from Boston every year to win the discus, but I spoiled his fun.”

In 1956, Robert earned trophies at both the Highland Games (where he competed with the Navy team from Cornwallis) and the Maritime Championship held during the Summerside Lobster Carnival.

During those years, the Royal Canadian Legion sponsored a training program known as the Canadian Olympic Training Plan. Robert was a member of the COTP team for two successive years, training at the University of Toronto and having the opportunity to train under the best coaches in Canada.

Robert and Peter Simmonds, a student-athlete at Queen Elizabeth High School in Halifax who would go on to star in basketball and track and field at Acadia, topped the list in physical fitness testing by a Military Training Team.

Robert competed for a berth on the Canadian Olympic track and field team, and while he fell short of his goal of qualifying, he competed with and against many athletes who did make it to the Olympics.

After graduating from high school, Robert attended the Nova Scotia Agricultural College from 1957-1959, then moved on to the University of Guelph to study for a degree in Poultry Science.

At Guelph, he was a member of the school's track and field team. Competing in Ontario/Quebec intercollegiate meets, he captured both gold and silver medals. In 1961, his final year of competition at the university level, he placed first in the discus at the Ontario Intercollegiate meet.

Robert originally intended to enter the Air Force, but his father convinced him to return to the farm. His fascination with flying led to flight training at Greenwood, and eventually to his own pilot's license. He has been flying for more than 50 years; he and his wife Ruth once flew across Canada in a vintage biplane.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, in the athlete category, Robert Norman Clark, one of the finest athletes of his generation and a credit to the area in which he grew up and still resides.

A long and eventful life began for Wilfred Robert Hoare Aug. 21, 1916 in Manchester, England a life that would see him accomplish many things, make many friends and influence countless young lives.

An athlete in his youth, Wilf participated in football (soccer), cricket and track. In 1940, he was short-listed for the British Olympic 4X440-yard relay team, only to see the Games cancelled due to World War II.

In 1946, he ran the final 400 metres for the RAF to win the mile race at the European Forces championship in Germany. Still competing into his 70s, he captured bronze in the 400 metres and silver in the 800 at the Masters Olympic Games held in Denmark in 1989.

During World War II, Wilf was a member of the Royal Air Force, serving as a Physical Training instructor. In 1952, he joined the RCAF, spending time in Germany, Newfoundland and at CFB Greenwood.

Retiring in 1966, he returned to England where he earned a Bachelor's degree from the London University Institute of Education. He taught in his hometown of Manchester for four years, and was involved with the Recreation Department as well as writing for the local newspaper.

Wilf returned to Greenwood as Director of Community Services and Programs, which included the job of village administrator and recreation director, until 1982. In 1973, Wilf and his wife Renee moved to Berwick, which would remain his home until his death on Mar. 15, 2001.

Wilf's most enduring contributions to sport were as a coach. While in Newfoundland, he coached the ice hockey team in Labrador to championships in 1961 and 1966. During his years in Greenwood, he coached the Greenwood Rangers soccer team to a remarkable 25 championships, including two national titles.

In 1973, the year he came to Berwick to live, Wilf was appointed head coach of the provincial women's field hockey team. One of his first players, Judi Rice, remembers Wilf's comments after final selections for the team were made. He stated in his strong British accent, “we have some work to do here, but in three years, I guarantee you we will be national champions.” Rice recalls, “we looked at him and each other and thought, 'who is this guy, he must be out of his mind'.”

Wilf travelled to Halifax for practices on the Halifax Commons every Saturday and Sunday. At the time, he was one of only two coaches coaching women at the provincial level. As a coach, he was ahead of his time, combining rugby and soccer drills into field hockey drills.

A task master second to none, he didn't back down from anyone or anything, and he was always promoting his adopted province of Nova Scotia and Town of Berwick.

In Wilf's second year coaching, his team made the top three in the country, upsetting a heavily favoured Ontario squad.

In the third year, the girls did exactly as Wilf had predicted, winning the national championship, defeating a favored B.C. team in the semifinals and Alberta in the final. They remain to this day the only team east of Ontario to win the national title.

Ten years later, in 1985, Nova Scotia won the Canadian Masters field hockey championship with many of the same players from the 1975 team and, of course, Wilf as their coach.

The 1975 team, along with Wilf as coach, was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. Today, 36 years after that first national title, the players still refer to themselves as 'Wilf's women'.

Even later in life, education continued to play an important part in Wilf's life. He was the first senior citizen in Canada to earn a Masters degree in recreation, which he received from Acadia in 1985 at age 68.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, posthumously, as an Athlete and Builder, Wilfred Robert Hoare, athlete, coach, mentor, friend and inspiration to generations of athletes of all ages.

Born in Welsford, N.S. Jan. 20, 1921, Cyril Ellsworth Kinsman was the youngest son of a very large family. With his wife Ruth, he lived his life (and they raised four children) in Welsford, where Cyril farmed and also served as an apple inspector for the Department of Agriculture.

Cyril's family, known for their boxing prowess, also took a keen interest in other sports as well. In 1960, Cyril found his way to the Berwick Arena along with his son Davey, a talented young hockey player.

Not long after that, Cyril became manager of the Berwick Arena, which had just installed artificial ice. In order to qualify for the job, he had to write a Stationary Engineer's exam, which he did and passed.

Ensuring that the arena operated to its full capacity was a big objective, and one Cyril took very seriously. He helped coach minor hockey, organized the local Junior High School Hockey League and the 'Apple Knocker' League, helped with the local Scout league and worked tirelessly to help the figure skating club.

Cyril, along with other prominent citizens, was instrumental in bringing Grand Prix Wrestling to Berwick and operating it at the arena for many years. This turned out to be an excellent vehicle for raising funds for the operation of the rink.

Cyril “didn't just run the arena, he 'was' the arena.” He appreciated the many children who frequented the rink, and was a great teacher, especially in teaching the young people valuable life lessons.

In the early 1960s, you could go skating at the arena every day after school. It cost a dime, but a dime was a lot of money in those days, so many youngsters would sneak into the arena to go skating.

The story goes that Cyril would come by and say to a youngster, “I'll need some help scraping the ice when skating is done today.” He always seemed to know, and it was important to him that all kids were able to participate.

Cyril single-handedly ran a bantam hockey program that in its heyday included 48 boys aged 12 to 14. He organized four teams of 11 or 12 players; each team had a first and second line, two sets of defensemen and a goalie.

The top lines on each team played against one another, then he would blow the whistle and the second lines would take to the ice, in order to keep the competition as even as possible. If a player didn't show up on a given day, he could be replaced, but only on the line on which the missing boy was playing. Everyone played at his own level, and Cyril had a little book in which he kept track.

One former player, recalling this league, remarks that it was “the most fun I ever had playing hockey.”

Cyril was also an innovator. He was the first arena manager to fence off the visitors' bench and the penalty box, which became affectionately known as 'Joe Clark's Chicken Coop' after a regular occupant.

After seeing a young Berwick hockey player break his leg falling into the goalpost, Cyril devised rubber tube inserts to hold the posts in place while at the same time, allowing enough give that the net would come off, thus cutting down on injuries.

He was also one of the first to use a sprayer to repair the goal areas and other sections of the ice surface.

Cyril, who passed away in Berwick Oct. 16, 1992, managed the Berwick Arena for almost 25 years. His dedication to all facets of his job, his ingenuity, his sense of caring and fair play all served him well.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, posthumously, in the Builder's category, a most special of builders, the late Cyril Kinsman.

In 1964, Jim Keddy, his wife Elizabeth (Libby) and their three children, Robert, Pamela and Kimberley, moved from Nictaux to Berwick, where Jim had just been appointed Postmaster.

Having a young family and possessing an outgoing nature, Jim often found himself at the Berwick Arena with his children. When the Shell Junior hockey club, also among our Inductees this evening, was formed in the fall of 1966, Jim was there to do all he could to help.

Almost immediately, he volunteered to be the team's official scorer and timekeeper, as well as the public address announcer for the Junior games that were played every Saturday night that winter at the Berwick Arena.

It wasn't long before Jim's distinctive voice could be heard announcing goals, assists and penalties and many other things connected to the Junior games.

Jim also helped provide transportation for the players when the team travelled out of town. As the team was not part of a league, it played exhibition games whenever, and wherever, they could be arranged, all the way from Yarmouth to Antigonish.

During the 1967-1968 season, Jim took over as manager of the Berwick Juniors. He also continued to fulfil the duties of PA announcer, timekeeper and official scorer. By this time, Berwick played in the Metro-Valley Junior 'B' League, which meant a considerable amount of extra duties for the manager.

Throughout this time, Jim, with the able assistance of his wife Libby, would also fundraise for the team, which involved organizing suppers, barbecues, walkathons, raffles, 50/50 draws and many other fundraising events.

Jim and Libby's home, at that time located on the corner of Maple Avenue and Union Street, was also a gathering point for many of the young local players, who would relax, shoot a game of pool, have a meal and, on many occasions when games were scheduled for Saturday evening at home and then Sunday afternoon on the road, even stay the night.

The duties of a manager included arranging games, interacting with other teams and league officials, making sure the team had sticks and other gear, transportation to and from games, advertising of the team's home games as well as just being there when something was needed.

At the end of the 1967-1968 season, a season-end wrap-up story in the Berwick Register included the following:

“We hope, too, that coach Art Newton and manager Jim Keddy will see fit to carry on for another year. These two have put in a lot of time for the club. Mr. Newton has been good to the boys and deserves a lot of credit.

“Manager Jim Keddy, who is the Postmaster at Berwick, should be congratulated for his tremendous effort in arranging games for the club all during the season. The long list of phone calls and the waiting period for many of them tells the story.

“Citizens of Berwick and area should be thankful to their local postmaster for helping the young fellows through the season and taking so much of his time when otherwise he could have joined the rest of us and spend the weekends driving around.”

According to players from that era, Jim “was a truly great manager” who would “always be there for the players, regardless of their needs.”

Jim was also very active at this time helping raise funds for the Western Kings Memorial Hospital Fund and the Berwick and District Fire Department.

His distinctive voice was again put to good use calling the Giant Bingos held to raise funds for these two very deserving entities. In all, more than $40,000 was raised for the services.

The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct, in the Builder category, Jim Keddy, in his day an announcer, statistician, timekeeper and the epitome of what a successful team manager should be.

Dunachton Gale, a three-time winner as Atlantic Canada Horse of the Year, has a special place in the hearts of owner Dave Fillmore of West Berwick and Phil Pinkney, the legendary Nova Scotia trainer and driver who drove him in all but one of his victorious races in an outstanding six-year career.

The Truro Driving Park record-holder with a 1:53.2 mile, run on July 29, 2006, and a Gold Cup and Saucer Trial winner on P.E.I., the magnificent stallion amassed over $200,000 in career earnings.

Woodbine's Joey Shea described Dunachton Gale in his prime as “a nice horse to be around a good feeling horse. He is a well-mannered animal off the track and a true professional on it.”

The first of Dunachton Gale's three Atlantic Canada Horse of the Year awards came in 2004, when, as a three-year-old, the bay simply dominated the region, building on the success of a freshman campaign in which he triumphed in nine of 10 starts.

As a three-year-old, Dunachton Gale won 14 of his 16 starts and was second in the other two races. His purse earnings for that season settled at $66,277 the highest total of his six-year career.

After solid campaigns as a four- and five-year-old, he really affirmed his dominant status in 2007 as a six-year-old.

Coming off a 2006 season in which he was named Atlantic Canada Horse of the Year for a second time, Dunachton Gale took no prisoners in 2007, winning 11 of 14 starts and never finishing off the board.

He captured a heat of the Gold Cup and Saucer at the Charlottetown Driving Park in a lifetime best 1:53.1, but his season was cut short after he suffered a chipped coffin bone while winning the Joe and Jennie Chippin Memorial at Fredericton Raceway in 1:55.1, just a tick off the track record.

When award time rolled around, Dunachton Gale easily earned his third Atlantic Canada Horse of the Year award for his stellar 2007 campaign.

Other career accomplishments include qualifying for the final of the Gold Cup and Saucer during Charlottetown's Old Home Week celebrations, and winning the Governor's Cup in Summerside.

Dunachton Gale also won the Walter Dale in Fredericton, the oldest feature race in the Maritimes and driver Phil Pinkney's only time winning that race in his long and successful career.

Dunachton Gale was retired to stud in 2009 and now resides at Pictonian Farms in Pictou County where he is enjoying life at stud and has already produced offspring which will hopefully follow in his 'hoof steps'. Dunachton Gale's eldest foals are two-year-olds in 2011. Phil Pinkney has had a Hall of Fame career in his own right as a driver. Now in his early 70s, his legendary career began at the age of 15 and still continues today, almost 60 years later.

He is not only one of the most prolific and successful Maritime drivers, but is also considered one of the top trainers and developers of harness racing horses in the region.

On Jan. 31, 2009, he was presented with the prestigious O'Brien Award for Horsemanship, for which he had also been nominated two years earlier.

The Fillmore family have always been, and remain, extremely proud of “Gale” and his accomplishments.

Please join the Berwick Sports Hall of Fame as we break slightly with tradition and induct, in the Special Recognition category, Dunachton Gale, an elite athlete of the four-legged variety and at age 10, our youngest-ever inductee.

Bruce Beattie played many sports in his youth, including baseball in the summer and hockey in the winter. In high school he participated in soccer, volleyball, and track and field. His real passion in sports, though, was hockey.

Bruce played his entire minor hockey career in Berwick and became known and trusted as a steady stay-at-home defenceman.

The highlight of his minor hockey career was the 1967-68 season. The Western Valley Flyers were formed to challenge for provincial, maritime, and national honours in midget age hockey. This stellar group of young men were primarily from the Berwick area and played out of the Berwick Arena. Bruce anchored the defence and was chosen to captain the team in their bid to win to the national title.

The Flyers captured both the Nova Scotia and the Maritime titles, giving them the opportunity to represent their province at the national championship in Kingston, Ontario. The team did their home province proud, placing 4th in Canada. The Western Valley Flyers were inducted into the Berwick Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

After what Bruce remembers as "the best hockey year he ever played", he moved on to the Berwick Junior Bruins. In the 1969-70 season, Bruce was chosen the Bruins' MVP. He was also the key to the defence at Central Kings during his high school years. His former high school coach, John Prall, remembers him as "a great skater, a good all-round player, a leader, and a true gentleman".

After Bruce graduated from Central Kings in 1971, he enrolled at Acadia University and joined the Axemen blueliners. Bruce's steady play did not go unnoticed in the Junior "B" ranks and he and Joe Gillis were recruited by Moe Smith to join the Windsor Royals for the playoff run.

Bruce continued to toil in the AUS with the Axemen until 1974, when a broken knee cap forced him to miss most of the season. After graduating from Acadia, Bruce moved to the Northwest Territories. He returned to Berwick in 1980 and with his brother Brian started Universal Sports sporting goods store. He played in the suburban league and turned his attention to coaching with Berwick Minor Hockey. He returned to the north and spent a total of fifteen years in various communities there.

Since his return Bruce has been a tremendous contributor to the Berwick community as a volunteer with Gala Days, the Berwick Arena Slow Pitch Tournament, the Apple Dome Steering Committee, and with many Apple Dome fundraisers.

Born into a sports-minded family, Laurie grew up in Weston and loved to join the games that surrounded him. He remembers playing ball with great delight, as young as age five, in the backyard after supper with his brother Paul and sister Marilyn, his uncle Bernie, and any neighbors that happened along. One night in particular, he remembers his mother coming out, taking him inside, and putting him into bed. He waited until she returned downstairs, and then snuck down the back stairwell to rejoin the game outdoors. This desire to play and compete continues to this day.

Laurie played Little League ball in Aylesford, but one day at the age of thirteen, he tagged along with his older brother Paul to one of his games in Berwick. He was invited to join the game. The teams were comprised of men ten years his senior. The opposition, noticing the youngster at bat, pulled the outfield in. Laurie hit the ball fifty feet over their heads. He was immediately invited to play in the Berwick league. Laurie continued to play softball in Berwick. He played for the All Stars at the age of fifteen and hit a .327 average. In the following years his batting average was over .400. He was a member of the Berwick Legionnaires team that won the Nova Scotia and Maritime softball titles in 1961. This team has previously been inducted into the Berwick Sports Hall-of-Fame.

The same year, Laurie played baseball with the Kentville Hoppers Juvenile Team who won the Nova Scotia and Maritime Championships. In fact, after finishing one championship game in Saint John with the Hoppers on Saturday, he went to play in Woodstock with the Legionnaires on Sunday. He also played a year in the Halifax & District League, known as the H&D League, for the Kentville Wildcats. He was known to be a power hitter with a high batting average, a very good bunter and base stealer, and an outstanding outfielder who made many sensational catches.

During his high school years at West Kings, Laurie excelled at many sports. He was a member of a relay team which set a record at the Kings County zone trials and went on to the Acadia relays. He held seven records at West Kings in track and field. He was the pitching and hitting star for the softball team. His basketball years were phenomenal. The West Kings team won the Headmasters “A” Championship in 1960, and as it was reported in the Chronicle Herald, Laurie was “the big gun for West Kings, the kingpin for the attack throughout the tourney.” He was also a member of the West Kings teams that won the provincial titles in soccer and volleyball that year. Laurie was named the athlete of the year at West Kings for his stellar contribution to sport.

In later years, while stationed with the RCMP in Gimli, he played fastball for the Winnipeg Molson Canadians who won the Manitoba Senior “A” League Championship. In 1966, he was voted All Star left fielder for the league.

Laurie was also a very good hockey player. While playing for the Berwick & District League he finished third in scoring and led the league in assists. He played for the RCMP in New Brunswick, and also for the RCMP Old-timers who toured Nova Scotia playing benefit games.

Laurie is an accomplished golfer. He has had three hole-in-ones (two at KenWo and one in P.E.I.), played to a 2 handicap, with a low score of three under par, 67 at KenWo, and has won the Midas Invitational Tournament.

In addition to playing sports, Laurie has coached hockey; taking the Kentville Pee Wee hockey team to the International Hockey Tournament in Quebec, in which 200 teams from Canada, the United States, and Europe participated. He also coached Little League baseball in Kentville, as well as several ball and hockey teams while living in Manitoba.

Sometime during the mid 1940s Stuart E. Johnstone wrote about a ball game. He then took the story to John Scott, owner of the Berwick Register, and asked if he would print it. He did and a few days later he called Stuart and said, "Bring more." Mr. Scott's support launched Stuart's career as a sports reporter and the rest is history.

His play-by-play writing style was so descriptive that if you missed the game you could just pick up the Register and read Stuart's article to visualize exactly how the game had been played. As Dr. Ron Thorpe said, "Stuart, you use too many adjectives."

Stuart started out as a scorekeeper but, as his interest grew, he qualified and wrote his exams and became a registered umpire for the Nova Scotia Softball Association. He umpired many games throughout the province, including the final two games of the 1950 Intermediate "A" Championship between Springhill and the Greenwood Flyers. The Flyers were allowed to pick up two players, Carl Best and Carl McDow; they won a hard-fought 2-1 series. Stuart recalls "good times and bad" calling balls and strikes.

Stuart's real passion was writing. He garnered much space from Berwick Register owners John Scott and Murray Bezanson, both sports enthusiasts. Occasionally, the press was held up to wait for reports on an important series or provincial championship. Stuart's writing was so good, requiring so little editing, that his editor suggested that he write on yellow paper so that his reports could be recognized at a glance and could be sped past the usual editing process. Frank S. Bums, president of the Maritime Newspaper Association, wrote to Murray Bezanson, saying, "Congratulations to you and your writer S.E. Johnstone that is the sort of material that will keep your weekly newspaper alive."

Of course, his favourite team was the Mohawks from his beloved Waterville so many great players, so much to write about. Stuart was offered a job writing promotions for the Berwick Arena, but he had to decline as his painting contracting business was keeping him too busy.

For many years Stuart coached the Berwick Graves Oldtimers hockey team. In 2010 Stuart celebrates sixty years of service as a firefighter. He also serves as a village commissioner, church deacon, RCMP citizen patroller with well over five thousand hours of service, reporter for AVR and CHNS radio stations, and longtime member of Masonic and Eastern Star Lodges. Married to Murielle for fifty-eight years, with three children, Wayne, Elaine, and Bryce, and two grandchildren, Kristen and Adrian, Stuart continues to write for the Berwick Register.

The Berwick Sports hall of Fame is proud to induct Stuart E. Johnstone.

With the arrival of Art and Eleanor Newton in September of 1959, the development of sports in Berwick was about to take a gigantic leap forward.

Art played several sports. He played baseball, hockey, and tennis while in the Air Force from March 1955 through April 1958. He played fastball and hockey in Greenwood in 1960; however, it was as a builder that Art would make his main contribution to local sports. He began by organizing and coaching Midget softball, with the help of assistant coach David Miller, in the summer of 1961. The creation of this team began a resurgence of interest in softball in the area.

In the late fall of 1961, with the arrival of artificial ice in the Berwick Arena, Art, along with George Hamilton, coached a hockey team representing Aylesford in the Berwick & District Suburban Hockey League, referred to by locals as the Apple Knocker League. This team competed with teams from Berwick, Grafton, Morristown, and Graves Ltd. Aylesford won the championship in the spring of 1962.

Education and employment opportunities took Art and his family away from Berwick in 1962. They returned in 1968.

In the summer of 1969, Art organized and coached a Midget baseball team, playing on the old field in Berwick and competing against teams from Kentville and Greenwood. In the fall of that year, Art coached the Berwick Bruins Junior "B" hockey team, playing exhibition games throughout the regular season until the playdowns, which they lost, late in the run, to New Glasgow.

In the summer of 1970, Art managed the Berwick Alpines Senior "B" fastball team. Art brought in Canada Games All Star shortstop Roy Mansfield and many other star players. Not only did he coach and manage, but he built the dugout and fence and he maintained the field. The team won the Valley Fastball Championship that year and advanced to the N.S. Senior Fastball Championship, losing to New Glasgow, one home and one away, 1-0 in each game.

In the summer of 1971, Art started two teams: a Senior "A" Fastball team in the Mainland Senior League, coached by Pat Hampsey and managed by Art, and an Intermediate "A" team in the Valley Fastball League, coached by George Moody and assisted by Randy Holmesdale. The Intermediate team won the league championship. In the summer of 1973, the two teams merged into one Intermediate "A" team, which Art managed and for which he was able to secure sponsorship by Eassons Transport Ltd. Sponsorship by Eassons for Berwick softball would continue for over thirty years.

In 1981, Art assumed the position of Player-Recruiter for the Valley Wildcats Junior "A" Hockey team, a position he held for two years. This team included many Berwick players, such as Bobby Best, Brian MacAskill, Larry Morse, and Craig Prall.

Art has served on Berwick Town Council, the Western Kings Hospital Board, and the United Church board. For fifteen years, Art assisted with the organization of the Apple Tree Foundation Golf Tournament for the Kings Regional Rehabilitation Centre. For the past nine years, Art has helped to organize and run the Annual Apple Dome Golf Tournament and Auction. The Berwick Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct Arthur D. Newton.

During the late 60s, the 70s, and the early 80s, the Berwick Curling Club was well respected locally and across the province for having strong, competitive teams. With the recruitment of Dr. Ron Thorpe, Tom Beattie, Dave Miller, and Bill Wilson, the Berwick Curling Club became even stronger. Looking more like NFL linebackers than curlers, these four men combined style, strength, strategy, size, agility, shot making, and tremendous “sweeping ability”. Back in the day before push brooms, these men drew raves from spectators for their sweeping efficiency, pounding in unison with corn brooms, rink rats, and mid westerns (with leather inserts). One Digby Hall-of-Famer, Hymie Webber, even checked their brooms one day for real vacuums!

All the practice and play would pay off. Most of the games played in the Berwick Curling Club were full of tension and excitement. All of the teams wanted so dearly to represent the club, especially at the provincial level. There was even the odd call to world champion Ernie Richardson for a bit of advice.

Holes-in-one in golf are rare, but eight enders in curling are extremely rare. In January 1971, the boys pounded Dr. Thorpe’s last rock all the way to the rings to score the first eight-ender in Berwick Curling Club history and to win the right to represent Berwick in the famous Johnson Cup, played in Halifax.

It was fun to watch Dr. Thorpe’s methodical approach to the game, Tom Beattie’s style of bringing the rock back to should height and finishing with a gentle delivery, and the shot making and sweeping of Dave Miller and Bill Wilson. Bill became known as “Double” Wilson for his ability to make double take-outs when needed the most. And they were hugely successful. They were runners-up four times in provincial play; the 1971 Johnson Cup, the 1972 Provincial Branch Junior, and the 1973 and 1975 British Consols (the provincial men’s championship now known as the Labatt Tankard). As Dave Miller said about the team, “We were pretty strong”.

One of the most prestigious events of the time was the Western Counties Bonspiel, which brought together the best curling teams from throughout the western part of the province, included several that went on to provincial championships. The individual members of the Ron Thorpe Curling Team, on various teams over three decades, won nine times. Bill Wilson was elected to the Western Counties Hall-of-Fame as a five time winner. Dave Miller won twice and Dr. Thorpe and Tom Beattie each won once.

Not only were these curlers great ambassadors of the game, but they also gave freely of their time to make the home club successful; holding office, working on committees, and running bonspiels. It would be interesting to put this team up against today’s teams.

The Berwick Sports Hall-of-Fame is proud to induct the curling team of Dr. Ron Thorpe, Tom Beattie, Dave Miller, and Bill Wilson.

Thirteen proved to be a lucky number for the 1983-1984 Berwick Bruins Pee Wee “C” Team. Who knew at the beginning of the year that the thirteen young boys who suited up for Berwick would go on to win the provincial championship? As the year progressed, their coach, Robert Hiltz, saw their skills improve and their confidence grow as they practiced scoring, face-offs, and goalie management. Sponsored by Gordie Morse Trucking, the boys began to gel as a team. They won the Bridgetown Christmas Hockey Tournament in a tightly contested final where they defeated the host team.

Next came the playdowns to see who would represent the zone in the provincial tournament. First the boys met Kentville and trounced them by scores of 13-0 and 8-2. Then they played Bridgetown. The competition was tougher, but Berwick prevailed by scores of 6-1 and 4-2. Next was Clare, which Berwick soundly thrashed by scores of 16-2 and 17-1. The boys were rolling and Newport proved no match as Berwick rolled over them by scores of 10-1 in Berwick and 4-2 in Newport. Now the boys were Valley Champions and their next series was against Western Zone Champion Liverpool, with the winner going on to the provincial championship in Shelburne. In the first game, after falling behind 5-1 by the end of the second period, the boys stormed back in the third to win 8-5. The next game was in Berwick and the home team won handily by a score of 6-3.

Finally it was the round robin provincial championship. In the first game, Berwick soundly defeated Springhill with a score of 9-1. The next game was a thriller, with Berwick beating Cape Breton 4-3 and the winning goal coming with only 55 seconds left in the game. In the championship game Berwick defeated hometown Shelburne by a score of 6-1 and with it won the first Provincial Championship by a Berwick team since 1967. Making the Provincial All-Star Team were leading scorer and tournament MVP Jamie Arsenault, All-Star Gordie Paul Read, and All-Star defenseman Brian MacLennan. Thirteen wins in a row on their way to the championship made thirteen a lucky number for the boys from Berwick.

Purdy Adams was born in 1920, the son of Charles and Ida Adams, and grew up on South Street in Berwick. His love of sports was evident as a young boy, and he remembers walking to South Berwick to play pond hockey. Once at the pond he put on his “spring” skates with magazines for shin pads and had a great time. In later years he played hockey for the Berwick School team and then for the Berwick Bruins. He was known as an excellent skater who could easily put the puck in the net. During one Bruins game, Purdy was the unfortunate recipient of serious facial cuts from an opponent's skates after checking him. Purdy was attended to by Dr R. A. Moreash, who arrived at the rink just as the accident happened; he was then taken to hospital.

Purdy loved baseball, growing up playing in town with his friends and on the Berwick School team. He remembers walking over to Welsford to join in games of ball with the Kinsman brothers Harry, Cyril, and Earle and their friends. He fondly recalls having great fun in friendly sparring matches in the garage with Earle, who was an accomplished boxer.

Purdy's accomplishments in Track and Field were stellar. In 1932 Berwick won the Schoolboy Championship at the Kings County Interschool Track Meet. Purdy, age 12, was a major contributor, winning the 60, 100 and 440 yd dashes as well as the broad jump.

The next year, 1933, Purdy, as a member of the Berwick Tuxis Boys Team, traveled to the Acadia University Campus in Wolfville to compete in the Kings County Athletic Meet for the Maritime and National Trophies. The Berwick team finished in first place. Purdy won the medal for the leading scorer in his own class, as well as in all classes. He was named Maritime Champion when his results were compared to those of other Maritime Competitions.

The following year, 1934, the Berwick team traveled again to Acadia University to compete. Purdy won all six events in Class Two, the medal for leading scorer in all classes, and was the reason the Berwick boys made the best showing. The Halifax Chronicle Herald headline on the sports page read “Purdy Adams Big Scorer in Valley Sports Meet”. His results were as follows: 75 yd dash 9.2 sec; potato race 17 sec; high jump 4ft 3 1/2 in; 6lb shot put 33ft 2in; baseball throw 216 ft 2in; broad jump 13ft 7in.

In later years, Dr R.V. Thorpe told Purdy's mother how worried he'd been when competing against the "little guy from Berwick" in the track meets years before and how easily Purdy had outraced him.